1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a process for the conversion of nitrogen-containing carbonaceous feeds such as a hydrocarbonaceous oil, coal or mixtures thereof in the presence of hydrogen and a vanadium-containing catalyst.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hydroconversion processes conducted in the presence of hydrogen and a hydroconversion catalyst are well known.
The term "hydroconversion" is used herein to designate a process conducted in the presence of hydrogen in which at least a portion of the heavy constituents (as measured by Conradson carbon residue) of the feedstock is converted to lower boiling constituents. The concentration of nitrogenous contaminants, sulfur contaminants and metallic contaminants of the feed may also be simultaneously decreased.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,550 discloses the addition of mineral acids to distillate chargestocks of a hydrotreating process utilizing a conventional hydrogenation catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,828 discloses hydrorefining of petroleum crude oils utilizing an unsupported vanadium halide.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,057,629 discloses the refining of hydrocarbon oils with hydrochloric acid in the presence of a metal oxide which may be a vanadium oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,583 discloses coal liquefaction in a hydrogen donor solvent in the presence of a carbon radical scavenger which may be a hydrogen halide.
It has now been found that a hydroconversion process of nitrogen-containing carbonaceous feeds utilizing a combination of a vanadium-containing catalyst and a hydrogen halide will provide advantages that will become apparent in the following description.